Endoscopes have attained great acceptance within the medical community, since they provide a means for performing procedures with minimal patient trauma, while enabling the physician to view the internal anatomy of the patient. Over the years, numerous endoscopes have been developed and categorized according to specific applications, such as cystoscopy, colonoscopy, laparoscopy, upper GI endoscopy and others. Endoscopes may be inserted into the body's natural orifices or through an incision in the skin.
An endoscope is usually an elongated tubular shaft, rigid or flexible, having a video camera or a fiber optic lens assembly at its distal end. The shaft is connected to a handle, which sometimes includes an ocular for direct viewing. Viewing is also usually possible via an external screen. Various surgical tools may be inserted through a working channel in the endoscope for performing different surgical procedures.
The endoscopes are connected to a control unit via a supply cable. When handling such endoscopes, there exists the problem that on account of a rotation of the control unit the supply cable is twisted and the conductors running in the supply cable are therefore exposed to an increased level of stress. U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,908, dated Feb. 18, 2003 and assigned to Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. suggests a coupling that is provided on the control unit and on which the supply cable is articulated so that it can rotate to a certain extent, however, is fastened on its supply plug.
Even though this design provided in the cited prior art minimises the risk of torsions, when the operator reaches the maximum rotation, a feeling of strain arises which can have a very tiring effect on the operator. At the same time strong forces are produced which act on the coupling and the supply cable and may have to be countered by a corresponding design or reinforcement of the control unit, which again however reduces the operational convenience.
It is therefore the object of the present specification to provide a simple solution for avoiding torsions of the supply cable that stresses the operator of endoscopes as little as possible.